I just found "Arsonists - As the World Burns" in an old jacket. Great album, lots of fun tracks on it and doesn't take itself at all seriously. Shame their second album was awful after a couple of them left

Hmm been listening to Dizzee Rascal (specifically the Boy in Da Corner album that Razz recommended). I'm actually quite liking it, which is a nice surprise. Seems like it'll be a grower but I may have found a hip hop (or is this called 'grime' or something?) album I like.

However, what the hell is he singing about on half the songs? Haha the slang is quite thick a lot of the time but some of the songs do seem to be a bit stereotypical gangs and guns. Or is this just me not understanding it?

Dizzee Rascal's new album is okay, there's still a lot of guns 'n gangsta type stuff in there but it's really not to be taken seriously. My favourite track is the one with UGK, cheesy as hell but strangely good.

I'm really loving Common's new album at the moment, much better than his last one. I've found almost all of the tracks on it to be great, which is quite unusual for me.

This is the thing... most people said to me (not just on here, obviously) not his lyrics are good and that he doesn't sing about the typical rap cliches, but I don't hear it. He seems to be singing about them to me! Still, his voice and music are both top notch so I'm still liking it, it's just the words are putting me off a tad. Am I listening to it wrong? You say not to take it seriously, is it done in a jokey way or something that I'm just not hearing?

thefilthandthefury wrote:
This is the thing... most people said to me (not just on here, obviously) not his lyrics are good and that he doesn't sing about the typical rap cliches, but I don't hear it. He seems to be singing about them to me! Still, his voice and music are both top notch so I'm still liking it, it's just the words are putting me off a tad. Am I listening to it wrong? You say not to take it seriously, is it done in a jokey way or something that I'm just not hearing?

EDIT: About Dizzee Rascal, obviously.

He raps about guns and bling all the time, I dunno what the person who told you otherwise was talking about :/

thefilthandthefury wrote:
This is the thing... most people said to me (not just on here, obviously) not his lyrics are good and that he doesn't sing about the typical rap cliches, but I don't hear it. He seems to be singing about them to me! Still, his voice and music are both top notch so I'm still liking it, it's just the words are putting me off a tad. Am I listening to it wrong? You say not to take it seriously, is it done in a jokey way or something that I'm just not hearing?

EDIT: About Dizzee Rascal, obviously.

He raps about guns and bling all the time, I dunno what the person who told you otherwise was talking about :/

There you go then, people just like to talk out of their arse it seems haha. Oh well, I'll just leave the particular tracks I'm into on my itunes and be glad for those.

Dizzee talks more about life from his perspective onhis first album. When he talks about guns and bling it's usually contextual rather than the American "Look at me and my bling! Weeeee! I'm rich bitch!". I've always respected Dizz for that.

I dunno, I just find him massively over-rated, as a hiphop producer anyway. I'm not even sure I'd call it hiphop. There are a ton of much more interesting and talented producers out there. Again, this is all in my opinion

smoothpete wrote:
DJ Shadow fell off after Endroducing, IMO. His latest album, name escapes me, I listened to it and thought hmm, a bit pap, maybe it's a grower, but it hasn't grown on me one bit I'm afraid.

Sorry!

Yeah it sucks. If you read the interviews with him about it, it seems he's got a serious problem with people who want him to continue in the vein of Endtroducing, which to be honest is a little ridiculous, since it's such a diverse style with so much potential. I can't see how attempting to produce another ethereal album would result in it being a re-hash.

The Private Press and all the associated releases are pretty good though.